Based on a true story, a poignant, heartwarming introduction to the lives of refugees.
Told from the perspective of a stray dog, the story of refugee migration from the Middle East through Turkey and across the tumultuous waters of the Mediterranean Sea to the island of Lesvos in Greece.
Kanella is a lonely stray, distrustful of both dogs and humans as she fends for herself. But when refugees begin to arrive, shivering, tattered, and afraid, Kanella finds new purpose and new companionship. Soon a makeshift camp is built to house the refugees before they embark on the next stage of their perilous journey. Kanella slowly grows accustomed to the camp community, befriending a worker who offers her water, food, and warmth. Most of the new strangers leave within a few days, but one little boy does not. His parents are missing. Like Kanella, he, too, is alone. The two share food and become playmates, and when the boy has nightmares, Kanella comforts him, snuggling close to him throughout the night. When officials visit for inspections, the futures of both Kanella and the little boy are called into question. An afterword both provides historical context and reveals that the story is based in fact. The simple, third-person, past-tense narration is tightly focused on Kanella’s perceptions and experiences, a strategy that drives home for young middle graders how far kindness and compassion can go in making newcomers feel welcome.
Based on a true story, a poignant, heartwarming introduction to the lives of refugees. (Historical fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77306-381-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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